Partnering With Mortals
by ImGoingSSJ
Summary: Heroes. Such a loose term. What does it mean? Demigod? Superhero? Anti-hero? Or maybe all three. Truthfully, it doesn't really matter what a hero is. What matters is that they're there. They don't ask for recognition, reward or even thanks. A hero is someone you can look up to, no matter how young. Heroes have never let us down. And they never will.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Quest

"You want me to what?!" Percy Jackson was shocked.

"Yes," replied his father, Poseidon, "As I've I been saying for the past half hour, yes."

"But, but I can't!"

"Hah! Told you Poseidon, not even Peter Johnson would be dumb enough to do that."

Percy glared at the speaker. "It's Percy Jackson, Mr. D. P-E-R…"

Dionysus scoffed. "Phh! Technicalities."

"Mr. D you slimy…"

"Percy!" Poseidon snapped. "When addressing a god, please speak with a hint of respect. Now as I was saying, to complete this mission, we need you to attend Gotham Academy for the time being."

"Yeah, but Dad," Percy whined, "Do you know how many low-class schools I've been kicked out of? Trust me, the list is long. Gotham Academy is like, way outta my league."

Poseidon sighed and tried to reason with his son but Zeus slammed his fist on his chair.

"Enough! Perseus Jackson, this matter is not up for debate. You will attend Gotham Academy and you will do it without complaint!"

Percy cringed at Zeus's loud voice. "Yeah but Uncle, I still don't understand what the mission is in the first place!"

Ares jumped to his feet. "I've had it with this kid! He doesn't have a clue what he's doing! If you send one of my kids, say Clarisse LaRue, now she would get the job done and wreck some kids along the way!"

Then all the other Olympians began arguing and throwing out names of their respective children. Athena slowly stood up and a murderous aura was in her eyes.

"Stop."

Though she did not say the word loudly, the other gods instantly quieted down. She composed herself and continued. "We have no time to be bickering amongst ourselves. There is a dangerous threat out there. A threat that, if not nullified, could destroy us all."

She indicated a magical screen in the centre of the room. A teenage boy with black hair, dressed in a suit appeared. His teeth were like fangs and an orange cat was on his shoulder.

"This is Klarion; a Lord of Chaos. He has acquired a power that can kill an Olympian."

Percy's eyes widened. The other gods started murmuring amongst themselves.

Athena went on. "He is a former son of Hecate who was gifted with great magical power. He rebelled and was defeated by his mother. Then he disappeared for a time. He has shown up on many recent occasions but has been nothing more than a minor nuisance. All his schemes were thwarted by the Justice League. But now, somehow he has had a dramatic increase in power. Since we gods cannot interfere in mortal matters, we must seek the aid of our children. The quest will consist of five demigods: Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite, Annabeth Chase, my daughter, Nico DiAngelo, son of Hades, Jason Grace, son of Jupiter and Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon."

Percy butted in. "Hang on, you can't put Annabeth or Piper for that matter in such a dangerous situation. I mean, if this Klarion is as powerful as you say, then shouldn't we have, like, Leo and Frank instead?"

Athena looked at him with disapproval. "Are you saying my daughter is not adequate enough for you?"

Percy raised his hands. "N, no, not at all," he stuttered.

"We already have three children of the Big Three, one for each of them. The fact of the matter is, we already have three powerhouses. Annabeth will work on strategy and Piper will provide support and also see into the future with her dagger."

Dionysus yawned. "Put simply, Perry Jacobsen, we can't have five idiot warriors unleashing their power in the mortal world without a care for collateral damage. That's why you need the other two."

Percy didn't even bother to correct him. "All right. I get your point. Please continue."

Athena nodded. "As I said earlier, the mortal heroes of this world, the Justice League have tangled with Klarion several times. You will join forces with them and work together to defeat Klarion. That is why you will be attending their younger heroes schools; that way you will learn to trust each other."

Percy nodded in understanding. "All right, I accept the quest."

Poseidon smiled at his son. "Good. The others have already been debriefed. You and Nico will attend Gotham Academy while Jason, Piper and Annabeth go to a school in Happy Harbour."

Percy burst out laughing. "Nico's going to school? Oh, man, I actually might enjoy this quest."


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, guys! I'd just like to say thanks for all the support from you all. It really means a lot, so, thank you. Now, I hope you enjoy the second chapter of Partnering With Mortals.

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><p>Chapter 2: School<p>

Dick Grayson stepped out of the fancy Porsche. Barbara Gordon followed behind him.

"Thanks, Al!" Dick said as he got out.

The butler from England smiled. "Have a good day, Master Dick, Miss Barbara."

The two teens grinned back at him and started walking towards the school. It had been three years since they had defeated The Light. Dick was now sixteen but he hadn't grown much.

Barbara was seventeen and stood several inches taller than her younger partner. Dick turned to his friend.

"Hey, Babs, did you hear that there's gonna be two new transfer students here at the Academy?"

"Yeah, both of them are in your year," she replied.

"I wonder what they're like!" Dick said.

The school bell rang and they separated, heading to their homeroom.

Percy and Nico trudged down the sidewalk en route to Gotham Academy. They both wore their uniforms, Nico very reluctantly so and both had backpacks filled with school supplies, weapons, duct tape, ambrosia and water.

Nico had his hands thrust in his pockets as he walked.

"This is so stupid." He said aloud. "Why do I have to be on this quest, much less going to a freaking school?"

Percy shrugged. "That's what the gods decided. Come on, it'll be fun."

"Fun?" Nico's eyes flamed. "How in Hades could it be fun?! It's school! Besides, don't you get expelled from every school you go to?"

Percy looked away. "Yeah. My record's pretty solid on that one."

"Exactly. Who's bright idea was it to send two loser demigods to Gotham Academy?"

Percy pondered this. "I think it was Athena."

"Curse her."

The sky rumbled. Nico scowled. "Ah, shut up."

Percy hiked up his backpack and steeled his eyes.

"I'm not looking forward to it either, well, maybe only to see you at school, but otherwise, I'm not. But I am excited to meet the Justice League."

"Why? They're a bunch of glorified mortals with powers. I hate them."

"Cause they're mortals? How's that a reason?'

"It's a reason because…" He paused.

Percy glanced down at his shorter companion.

"Because what?"

Nico scowled again. "I envy them. So free. So ignorant. They have no idea of the world that revolves around them. It pisses me off seeing them act like idiots."

Percy looked down. "I know what you mean."

They turned a corner and stepped into the school courtyard. "Well, forget about it now. We've got a quest to complete."

Dick sat down at his seat and put his bag beside him. The teacher came into the room.

"Ok, class," he said, "We have two new students who will be joining us today." He gestured to the door and two boys came into the room.

The first one was average height with messy black hair and startling green eyes. Some of the girls in the class whispered to each other. He held an easy grin and looked like a generally likeable guy. The second was another matter.

He was shorter than the first boy with very shaggy jet-black hair. His skin was very pale but there was a hint of olive colouring in it. His expression was a mix between a scowl and a frown.

Dick wanted to yell out, "_Emo!"_, but he restrained himself.

The teacher smiled. "Well, would you like to introduce yourselves, and say something that you like?"

The first one nodded. "Hey, I'm Percy Jackson and I like blue food!"

The class chuckled at this. The second boy rolled his eyes.

"My name's Nico Di Angelo and I don't like anything."

Percy sweat dropped. "Oh, come on, Nico, there must be something you like."

Nico scowled and turned his head. "Tch."

Percy sighed and looked at the class with an uncertain grin. "Nice to meet you."

The teacher hurriedly put an end to the awkward silence that followed. "All right, uh, Percy you can sit next to Dick there. And Nico can sit at the front next to Suzie."

Nico's face darted up and he silently groaned at the sight of Suzie. It was obvious that she was the class queen.

Percy moved easily through the rows and took a seat.

"So you're Dick," he said.

Dick nodded and smiled. "Yep, that's me. One question: Is your friend emo?"

Percy threw a cautious look at Nico who was sitting as far away from Suzie as he could.

"Uh, not that I know of. He's just not used to being around other people. But he's really a nice guy when you get to know him."

Dick smiled. "All right. I'll give it a shot."

Jason Grace self-consciously pulled the hood of his light brown jacket over his head. Piper Mclean looked at him and smiled.

"What's wrong?"

"I just don't want to attract attention, that's all."

Annabeth snorted. "You should be worried about Piper getting attention. She is a daughter of Aphrodite after all."

The school they would be attending was just around the corner. The three demigods walked through the gate. A girl with reddish brownish hair was talking to a tall boy with black hair.

When she saw them she ran over. "Oh, you three must be the new students! I'm Megan!"

Piper shook her hand while Jason and Annabeth nodded. The other boy came over. Jason sized him up and saw that the other teenager was a little taller than he was.

"I'm Connor. Megan and I can show you around the school if you'd like."

"Oh yeah, that'd be great!" Piper said. She looked to Annabeth and the taller girl nodded. Jason tried to look nonchalant and sighed.

"Sure, why not."

Even though he wasn't there, Jason was sure he heard Leo snickering behind his back. Megan showed the girls through the school while the two boys hung at the back.

Jason cleared his throat and Connor looked straight at him. The demigod was a bit unnerved by Connor's piercing gaze but he glared back at him.

"So," Connor ventured uncertainly, "Do you like guns?"

Jason looked at him and sweatdropped.

Connor held the bridge of his nose. "I'll take that as a no."

Jason smiled slightly. Then Connor groaned. "Ugh, putting on this nice guy attitude is so annoying!"

Megan heard him and giggled. "Connor, I just said to be nice to the newcomers, not to change your entire personality."

Jason chuckled. "I'm sorry. I've been acting differently too."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "That was obvious, Jason. You're a horrible actor.

"Heh. Not as bad as Percy."

She smiled as she thought about her boyfriend. "Yeah, he does suck at things like that."

Megan laughed. "So, Piper," she said, "You wanna join the cheerleading team? You'd fit right in!"

Piper hurriedly raised her hands. "Umm, no! Please I'm really not cut out for that kind of thing!"

"Aww. That's too bad. How about you, Annabeth?"

Megan had hardly gotten through the sentence when Annabeth shook her head.

"Sorry, I'm more of a bookworm."

"Oh, ok, that's fine! Perfectly fine! Oh! Here's the gymnasium."

They looked inside. A couple of guys were playing basketball. Megan turned to the two guys. "Connor, why don't you take Jason to go play some basketball?"

"Oh, sure. Come on, bro."

They walked into the gymnasium and Connor called to the guys inside.

"Hey, whose team are we on?"

A big guy with dark skin turned to look at them.

"Connor, you're on Marvin's team. I'll take the new kid."

They nodded and Jason introduced himself to the others. The game started and Connor won the jump. The ball went to one of his teammates, who instantly passed it towards Marvin.

Jason dashed forward and intercepted the pass. He easily dribbled around the other team and jumped up to shoot. Then Connor leaped in front of him and blocked the shot.

Jason was surprised at Connor's strength as he fell to the ground. Connor held out his hand.

"Sorry about that, man."

Jason took the hand and the game resumed. It ended pretty evenly and Connor slammed the winning basket. The rest of the day passed smoothly as well. The school they were attending was easygoing and they fit right in. But Percy and Nico on the other hand were not having such a good time.

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><p>And that's it! Tell me what you thought and please don't hang me for the lame last sentence. See ya next time!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, guys! Thanks so much for all the continued support! Here's chapter 3 and I hope you enjoy.

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><p>Chapter 3: Gotham Academy <p>

Percy practically screamed as he saw his schedule. "Advanced English and Arithmetic?! Are you kidding me? I can hardly read that!"

Dick glanced at him. "What, are you dyslexic or something?"

Percy nodded. Dick was surprised. "Then why are you in an advanced class? That's some pretty high level stuff there. Heck, you're in the same class as me!"

"I don't know! I'm not even that smart without dyslexia! Oh my gods, this is gonna be hard!"

"Oh my gods?" Dick looked at him strangely.

"Oh, uh, just a slip of the tongue!" Percy attempted to recover but he could see that Dick didn't by it. Oh well, at least school would be over in about… He glanced at his schedule. Six hours. He groaned out loud. He could just see Dionysus laughing.

Nico wasn't having a better time. Suzie was so annoying that it hurt his brain. She kept nagging and asking him questions that he couldn't answer. Then she'd whisper to her friends and they'd laugh. Then they'd all look longingly at Percy as he stumbled through the day.

Stupid Percy. Nico knew that it was all Percy's fault that he'd been forced to go to this posh school.

During math, Percy died. His dyslexia went on overload and he was instantly demoted to the 'dumb kids' math class. Nico didn't have it much better. His attitude caused his teacher to hate him with a passion and he was threatened with suspension multiple times.

In history, surprise, surprise, the teacher was doing a lesson on Greek Mythology. Percy thought it best to keep his mouth shut but Nico pointed out several places where the teacher was incorrect. The result of that was being humiliated in front of the class and made to write lines spelling 'I will not say Mr. Holmes is an incompetent fool, instead he is an amazing individual and I love being taught by him'. He had to write that 100 times. Old school style.

Science class wasn't much better, with both demigods fumbling about the lab and causing several accidents. They were made to clean up all the messes after class.

When lunch rolled around, both were ready to give up, but they were spurred on by an appearance of Athena, posing as a teacher. They strode into the cafeteria and took their food to a free table.

Percy took a bite out of his sandwich and raised his eyebrows.

"Hey, this isn't bad."

Nico shoved some prunes into his mouth.

"Doesn't make any difference to me."

They glanced up as a tall girl with long dark hair, dressed in black everything, stepped up to their table. Her face was pale and she had thick black eyeliner. She sat down next to Nico and smiled.

"Hey."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Hey."

She smiled again. "I'm Maria."

"Nico."

Maria brought her face closer and Nico shifted uncomfortably.

"You look like one of us." She said.

Nico frowned. "One of who?"

She looked closely into his eyes. "I see it. You have the symptoms. But it's rare to get a guy so hot in our group."

Percy put a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

Maria continued, alluringly. "How'd you like to be one of us? It's totally free, and _totally_ worth it."

"What are you talking about?" Nico questioned.

She upturned the left side of her mouth.

"Join the emo club."

Nico frowned again then suddenly, he understood. He slowly rose to his feet, black fire burning in his eyes. Percy couldn't take it anymore and let loose, howling with laughter.

Nico turned his murderous gaze towards him. "You. Shut up."

Percy raised his hands in surrender and covered his mouth but his shoulders were still shaking. Nico looked back at Maria and scowled fiercely.

"I. Am. Not. Emo." He said in a low voice. "Do you understand that?"

Maria raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"That's what they all say."

Nico leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. "Don't patronize me, or I'll break your face."

She licked her lips. "Ooh, is that a threat?"

"Yes."

Maria stood up. "I like you, Nico. I'll be back. My invitation still stands. Think about it." She walked off.

Percy opened his mouth to speak but Nico interrupted him.

"Not. One. Word. To anybody."

Percy nodded silently.

Lunch break over, the demigods continued into their next class: P.E. The instructor was a short, stocky man with a crew cut and scarred face. He was dressed in a collared T-shirt and wore black short shorts. He also had a whistle slung around his neck.

"All right, brats," he began, "Today we'll be playing some volleyball."

Many of the boys cursed. Percy crossed his arms. Nico looked sullenly at the wall. "I'll split you into four teams. You'll rotate every twenty minutes." He walked along the line shoving people into four corners.

Reaching Percy and Nico he pointed to the right. "Green-eyes, you're on that team. Emo kid, you're over there."

Tick marks appeared on Nico's forehead.

"I am not emo!"

"Yeah. Yeah. That's what they all say. Now get over there!"

Nico went to his teammates and blanched as he saw Maria. She winked at him and blew a kiss.

Percy strode over with a smile on his face.

"All right, guys, let's win this," he said.

His team nodded with confidence. A tall guy with short blonde hair nodded to him. "I'm Adam. This is Lenny, Sydney and Alana."

"I'm Percy."

Percy smiled at them and went to his position. Lenny was first server and he served the ball straight into the net. He cursed and hung his head. Adam waved him off.

"Don't worry about it, Lenny. Just focus on receiving this next serve."

The other team served it hard but Alana managed to bump it forward to Adam. He setted it up and Percy spiked it down. The ball ricocheted off the blockers and went out.

Sydney wiped her forehead. "Whew! That was a close one!"

"Rotate!" Adam ordered.

Sydney now took the serve and she blasted it into the corner, an ace. Percy's eyes widened.

"She's good." He said quietly.

Sydney got another ace but the third was saved by a receiver. Percy jumped up to block the spike and just missed it.

Lenny bumped the next serve forward and Alana tipped it over. Adam took the serve but was unable to catch the return ball. He gritted his teeth and set the next ball towards Sydney. She opted out of spiking it and instead bumped it straight to Percy.

He leaped high in the air and smashed down the spike, breaking right through the blockers.

Sydney grinned. "Yeah! That was awesome, new guy!"

He smirked back at her. "Your pass wasn't so bad either, blondie."

Adam gestured to him. "Percy, switch places with me. Nobody rotate! Percy, it's your serve."

Percy nodded and took the ball. He tossed it up into the air and hit it across the net. The receivers got it but the spike couldn't get past the block.

When the twenty minutes were up, they had won by quite a bit. They walked over to their next game and looked at their opponents. Percy's eyes widened in recognition.

"Dick?"

Dick smiled. "Hey, Percy. Ready to lose? We already beat Nico's team. Though that was mostly due to Maria trying to get Nico's attention."

"Well don't be too surprised when you lose." Percy replied.

Adam narrowed his eyes as he studied the other team.

"Liam, he's a tall blocker and he plays volleyball. Dick, an incredible athlete. The rest aren't too much trouble. Just watch out for Dick's fast reflexes and his speed. Also, don't be caught off guard by his flamboyancy."

"What are our starting positions?" Alana asked.

"Percy and Sydney are our receivers. Us three will be up front."

The other team served first and Percy easily bumped it forward to Adam, who smashed it down with a spike. Dick's eyes widened.

"Okay, then."

Alana took the serve and it tipped the net as it went over, falling straight to the ground. She breathed a sigh of relief. When she served again, it was received.

The setter did a horrible job and the ball went the other direction from the spikers. Then suddenly a blur flashed across the court and spiked the ball down into the court.

Percy gaped as Dick stood there, smirking.

"You feelin' the aster yet, Percy? Cause I am."

Most of the game was fairly equal with Percy and co. having the slight advantage. The twenty minutes were almost up and the game was tied when Adam blocked a spike. The ball fell towards the ground but Dick dove and managed to keep it in the air.

Sydney and Percy both jumped up to spike the chance ball but their heads bumped together and they missed it.

"Crap!" They cried in unison.

Lenny got to it in time and managed to hit it over. The receiver on the other team reached out to it awkwardly and ended up sending it behind him, out of the court.

Dick dashed after it.

Adam shook his head. "It's over. He'll never reach that ball. And if he does, he'll never be able to hit it back, he's moving far too fast."

Dick smirked. "I hate Justin Bieber, but still, never say never! Especially when I'm around!"

In an incredibly display of agility, he leaped up and bicycled-kicked the ball back across the court and into the corner of Percy's side. The instructor blew his whistle, signaling the end of the twenty minutes right after it landed.

Sydney and Adam gaped. Percy's jaw hit the floor. Dick grinned.

"Heh, how whelmed are you now, Percy?"

Percy laughed slightly. "No idea what that means, but yeah, I'm pretty whelmed."

"Stay that way."

They moved on to their final game. Nico was leaning against the wall with Maria in the same position beside him. Sydney wrinkled her nose.

"What's with those two?"

Percy shrugged. "They're two of a kind?"

She chuckled. "Guess so."

The teams lined up. Nico nodded to Percy, who returned the gesture. Then the game began.

The ball was served and Sydney returned it. Maria missed the spike but Nico jumped up behind her and pelted it into the court.

Adam grimaced as he received the next serve and passed it to Lenny. Lenny setted it to Percy who leapt up and lightly tapped it down.

They rotated and the game resumed with nothing particularly outstanding occurring. Nico did his best to not draw attention to himself and Percy did the same.

The match ended with Sydney spiking down the winning point. Percy gave her a high five as the coach blew his whistle.

"All right," he said, "Good work today, everyone. Tomorrow, we'll be playing basketball so if you have any equipment, feel free to bring it. Now go get changed and get outta here."

Their last class of the day, Spanish wasn't so bad. They didn't learn anything but they were only disruptive a few times.

By the end of the day, Percy and Nico were both exhausted as they dragged themselves out of the school. Then they realized that they had no home. They cried out in frustration and started pulling their hair out. Well, Percy did. Nico just stood in stoic anger and mentally cursed all the gods individually.

A motorcycle sidled beside them. "Hey, brats, need a lift?"

Ares laughed at their indignant faces. "You two are a real comedy pair. It almost makes me feel sorry for you. Almost." He said with a glint in his eye.

"What do you want, Ares?" Nico said calmly.

"Just to remind you of your mission. Get in touch with the superhero brats and kick Klarion's butt."

"You think we don't know that?" Percy said, his anger rising due to being in close proximity to Ares."

The god of war laughed. "Kid, you struggle through Grade 5 math. It makes sense that I'd have to remind you."

Tick marks appeared on Percy's forehead. "Hah! You couldn't even pass preschool!"

Ares scowled. "Be mighty thankful that you're the son of the sea god. Cause if you weren't, I'd wring your little neck. Not that I'm scared of your dad or anything, it's just wise to keep him happy."

Then he drove off in a huff and sent a cloud of smoke billowing from his Harley at the two demigods.

"Hey, where are we supposed to stay, you moron?" Percy yelled after them.

Dick came up behind them. "If you guys need somewhere to stay, you can crash at my place for a while."

"Whoa, you'd do that?" Percy asked.

Dick nodded. "Sure. We're friends."

Percy grinned. "Thanks a lot, man. We owe you."

Nico said nothing. He just continued showing his emo scowl.

Percy stared up at Wayne Manor in awe. "Wow, Dick, I knew your house was nice but, wow."

Dick smiled. "Yeah, it's not too shabby."

The three of them had decided to walk home and now they went up to the front door. Dick knocked and an older man with thinning gray hair opened it.

"Ah, Master Dick, you're home." He saw Percy and Nico. "And I see that you've brought guests."

"It's not a problem, is it, Alfred?"

"Not at all. I'll just have to set two extra spots at the dinner table tonight."

"Thanks, Al!" Dick led the demigods inside and they took off their shoes. "Hey, when's Bruce coming home?"

"Master Bruce has some business in Metropolis. Something about a date with a certain Miss Lane."

Dick smiled slightly. He knew Bruce's real reason for being in Metropolis. The meal was ready soon and the three friends ate happily. When they were finished, Dick asked them if they'd like to go to the arcade.

Alfred drove them there and they went inside.

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><p>Connor and Megan sat down together in Mount Justice. Megan had made a batch of popcorn and they were watching a movie.<p>

"So what do you think of the new transfer students, Connor?" Megan asked.

He shrugged. "They're okay, I guess. They're a little weird, though."

"How so?"

"It's just the way that they carry themselves. They don't seem like ordinary kids."

She nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that too."

They turned around as they heard the computer's female voice.

"Recognized: B03, Kid Flash. B02, Aqualad."

"Woohoo!" A kid with dark orange hair dashed into the room. "When the Wall-Man's in town, the party gets started!"

Aqualad followed behind him with his usual calm expression.

"Hey, Wally! Hey, Kaldur!" Megan said.

"Good afternoon, my Martian princess." Wally bowed low and Megan giggled. Connor just rolled his eyes. _Typical Wally, _he thought. _This is what happens whenever Artemis isn't here.  
><em>

Aqualad nodded to them. Wally opened the fridge door and proceeded to consume all of the recently bought snacks stored there.

Then an alarm sounded and Red Tornado's robotic voice appeared over the speakers.

"Attention team, there is a situation in Happy Harbour. Some type of monster is running loose. Take care of it."

Aqualad immediately stood up. "Come team, we will neutralize this threat."

Wally groaned and got to his feet. "Aww, I'm not even a quarter full!"

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><p>End of Chapter 3. The reason there was an in depth volleyball game in this chapter is because I've really gotten into the sports anime Haikyuu. There most likely won't be any more in depth sports scenes but it depends on you guys. So please tell me what you thought in the Reviews and I'll see you next time.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Hey, guys! Once again, thanks for all the great support. Just for clarification, to fit this story together I kinda messed with the ages of the characters a little bit. So here's just a simple rundown of them so the story makes more sense.

Percy, 17

Jason, 16

Nico, 16

Annabeth, 17

Piper, 16

Dick, 16

Connor, 18

M'gann, 18

Wally, 17

Aqualad, 19

There, I hope that makes a bit more sense now. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy Chapter 4.

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><p>Chapter 4: Memories of a Mystery Warrior<p>

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><p>"This the place?" Jason asked.<p>

Annabeth nodded. "Yep. This is where we're staying."

Piper scrutinized it. "Hmm. Not bad."

The three of them were standing in front of a small little house that sat on the end of a street. It was brown, with several windows and a chimney. A wooden gate opened up to a path that went through an inviting garden and reached the door.

Together, they walked up the front steps and Annabeth inserted the key into the door. It swung open and they were greeted with the smell of fresh flowers and the sight of a meticulously clean house.

Unlike with Percy and Nico, the gods had been favourable and provided a home for the three of them to live in during the quest.

Jason sighed as he sank down into a convenient armchair and set his backpack on the floor.

"Well, that wasn't so bad. School's nice, people are nice, and the work is easy. Yeah, not bad at all." He said.

Piper nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, those people who showed us around were great."

Annabeth wrinkled her nose. "They were all right. Megan is very over-friendly and Connor is kinda weird."

"Really strong, too." Jason added. "But overall, this was a good day."

"I'm kinda itching for some action, though," said Annabeth.

"I agree." Jason said. "But it is nice to relax when we're on a quest."

Piper sat down. "This doesn't seem like a quest, actually. It's doesn't have that- that thrill. And there's no definite end to the story and hardly any beginning. I mean, where's the prophecy? What's the end goal? What's Klarion's plan? We don't know any of these things."

Annabeth nodded. "You're right, Piper. This quest is rather unique. It's not generic."

Jason crossed his arms. "What are we supposed to even do? After we meet these so called 'heroes', what then? Do we gather round a campfire and sing Kumbaya?"

Annabeth looked at him closely. "Why don't you decide, Jason? You're the son of Jupiter, after all. You're meant to lead us."

Jason looked away. "Please don't say things like that." He said quietly.

"Why? It's true."

"I know it's true. But I don't wanna hear it."

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "Why?" She questioned. "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything."

She shook her head. "That's a lie. All people fear. Demigods especially."

"That's being technical."

Piper reached over and took his hand. "Jason, what's wrong?"

He hesitated. "I- I can't say."

"Not even to me?"

"Not even to you. I'm sorry. I don't have a choice."

"What's stopping you from telling us?" Annabeth asked.

He pursed his lips and swallowed. "An oath."

The two girls looked at him in confusion. Jason stood up. "I'm gonna hit the showers."

He strode into the bathroom and shut the door. Then he crumpled to the floor and leaned against the closed door. He rubbed his forehead and sighed.

_Why?_, he thought. _Why me? Why is so much responsibility placed on me? I've done everything I can to avoid attention. But I can't escape it. Why? _

After taking a shower, he came out of the bathroom and went to the dinner table. An uneaten burger was on the table and he assumed that it was for him. Jason took a bite then set it down.

He went over to the fridge and stopped as he saw a note. It read: _Had to go shopping. Left you a burger. Back in 30 mins._

Jason threw the note away and pulled out a carton of orange juice from the fridge. He poured it into an empty cup and took a sip appreciatively.

Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was 6:30. He finished the burger, sat down in front of the TV and started flipping through the channels.

When he reached the news channel, he paused and watched.

"_Reports indicate that some kind of strange disturbance is happening here in Happy Harbour. The silhouette of a giant monster is rampaging throughout the city, destroying everything in its way. We can't make it out fully, but it is apparent that the Justice League's sidekicks are here battling the threat."_

On the screen, Jason could see a blurry image of several costumed teenagers fighting a Minotaur. He quickly shut off the TV and jumped up from the couch.

Jason grabbed his sword and dashed outside, heading towards the battle.

* * *

><p>Connor grunted with exertion as the monster's arms connected with his own. He pushed with all his strength but the beast was equal to him. Wally charged forward and slid, crashing into its legs and causing it to stumble.<p>

M'gann used her telekinesis to throw several cars at it, but the monster managed to bat them away. Aqualad pulled out his weapons and they morphed into maces.

He sidestepped a swipe and slammed both weapons into the monster's skull, knocking it backwards. Connor unleashed a powerful punch that knocked the monster off its feet and sent it crashing into a store window.

Wally grinned. "Yeah! That some super-strength right there!"

Connor gritted his teeth. "It's not over yet."

The monster got to its feet and roared ferociously. The heroes prepared themselves.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of them, creating a shockwave that blew them all away. Debris littered the street and heavy smoke filled the air.

With his enhanced vision, Connor was able to make out a slim silhouette battling the monster. It swung hard but something flashed and its arm fell to the ground.

Connor squinted. The fighter was using a sword. It flashed again and the monster dissipated. Connor ran forward to catch the fighter but by the time he got there, he was gone.

* * *

><p>Jason opened the front door of the house and stepped inside. He took off his shoes and went inside the living room. Piper and Annabeth were waiting.<p>

"Where were you?" They asked.

"Fighting a Minotaur." He replied casually.

"Where?" Annabeth said.

"Here. I saw it on the news. Those sidekicks were fighting it so I stepped in."

"You met the heroes?"

"No. I made sure they didn't see me."

"What? You didn't even talk to them? Why?" Piper asked.

Jason sighed. "I didn't think it was the right time."

"How could it not?" Annabeth retorted. "They were just fighting a monster, probably the first they've ever faced. You could've fought _with_ them."

"Yeah, well, I didn't. Nothing's gonna change that."

He strode past them. Piper looked after him with a worried look in her eyes. She felt like talking to him but she didn't know what to say. Jason seemed so distant. It was like a chasm had come in between them.

At the school earlier, he had seemed fine and like his usual self. But now he was suddenly angry and resentful.

_What's happened to you, Jason?_

* * *

><p>On the way back from the battle, the heroes sat in M'gann's bioship. Silence covered the cockpit. Connor especially was keeping quiet. Aqualad took a breath and spoke.<p>

"We're going to have to file a mission report for Batman. I know we normally don't do that for normal crime incidents, but this time is different. We all know that."

Wally nodded. "Yeah. What the heck was that thing? It was strong, really strong. But sometimes, I couldn't even see it. It was like some kind of fog was covering it, making it blend with its surroundings."

"Red Tornado could see it, though." M'gann said. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have called us in. We should ask him when we get back."

"And what was with that sudden lighting?" Wally asked. "It came out of nowhere and when the smoke dissipated, the monster was gone."

Aqualad turned to Connor. "Superboy, you've been quiet this whole time. Do you have something to say?"

Connor looked up as if waking from a dream. "What? Oh, oh yeah. I guess I do. I don't know if you guys saw this, but after the lightning struck, I could see a figure in the smoke, fighting the monster. It used a sword to kill it. Then the monster seemed to dissolve into specks of dust."

"Wait, someone killed it?" Wally asked incredulously. "By himself?"

Aqualad rubbed his chin. "A mystery monster. Then a mystery warrior. What is going on?"

The bioship arrived at Mount Justice and they strode out of it and up to the meeting room. Red Tornado was waiting.

"Greetings, team." He said. "I trust the mission went well?"

"No entirely." Aqualad replied. "There were several occurrences that did not go according to plan."

The robot crossed his arms. "Explain."

"The monster we fought was powerful. It took all of us just to keep it at bay. We could hardly even see it."

"But you defeated the beast, did you not? I see no cause for complaint."

"We did not defeat it. Lightning struck the road in front of us, creating a smoke screen. Superboy glimpsed a lone warrior, who defeated it."

Red Tornado paused then came to a conclusion. "I'm calling Batman. You must recount your story to him again. In full detail."

Aqualad nodded. "It will be done."

* * *

><p>Jason lay in bed that night, unable to sleep. His mind kept drifting to the conversation he'd had with his father just two days ago. He tried to shut out the memory but it wouldn't be stopped. All he could do was hope he fell asleep before it ended.<p>

"_Jason," Zeus said, "Come walk with me."_

_Jason nodded and followed as his father led him to a small pathway. They were on Mount Olympus, outside the palace. An expansive garden spread its way across an open field. It's beautiful flowers filled the air with a fresh scent and Jason breathed it in, smiling. _

_Zeus stopped beside a little fountain and took a seat on a gilded bench beneath a fruit tree. He gestured for Jason to sit beside him. Jason frowned slightly as he did so. Never before had him father acted so, well, fatherly. _

_Together they gazed at the blooming plants and bubbling stream. Zeus sighed with contentment. _

"_You know, son," he began, "I often come here. Mostly when I want to be alone. Running Olympus is a hard task and I enjoy sitting here and relaxing. It helps me focus and keeps me sane."_

_Jason said nothing. _

"_The flowers and plants here are all Persephone's handiwork. When she's not with Hades, she comes up here to spend time with her mother, Demeter. But she always finds time to spruce up the place with a few subtle touches. What do you think of them, Jason?"_

_Jason hesitated. "I- I think they're beautiful. And I can see how they provide… comfort to you, father."_

_Zeus's face turned solemn. "Yes. Yes, they do provide comfort to me. When my brothers and I divided our spoils between each other, I was a little jealous of Poseidon. His domain was that of beauty. The waters were a vastly unexplored place; filled with wonders and things unseen. _

"_Of course I could never go there. Gods cannot go into each other's territory uninvited. I was stuck up here, destined to watch as humanity thrived. I enjoyed those first few centuries. The war with the Titans was over and peace filled the land. The mortals were becoming stronger and some of us gods became attracted to their ways. _

"_But now, I find nothing but contempt for most mortals. They are greedy, selfish beings who care little for others. Their lives are nothing compared to a god's. But at the same time, that makes them even more precious. _

"_While we gods live on, they die and more are created. They continue surviving, taking massive steps forwards and massive steps back. But they never stop trying. Humanity's greatest strength is it's will. I admire that. We gods cannot change. But they can."_

_Zeus sighed again. "I didn't use to believe in miracles. To me, all things were ordained by the Fates. But you, Jason, you were different. Your sister Thalia was born of my Greek side. It should have ended there. But as Jupiter, I fell for your mother again. And then you were born. _

"_Your life is a wonderful gift. But it is also a horrible curse. As the son of Jupiter you are destined to lead. Destined for responsibility. For years now, I have stood and watched as Poseidon's brat Perseus Jackson took the Olympian world by storm. _

"_Quest after quest he completed, gaining more power and fame the longer he lived. It made me so angry to see him rise. After the Second Titan War, there was no other reward I could give him but that of godhood. And he turned it down._

"_It makes me angry just thinking about it. That brat had the nerve to turn down the greatest honour in existence, all for the sake of a few, meaningless _mortals. _Doing so, he earned the respect of many gods. But you remained in the shadows. _

"_No matter how many great things you did, you were always overshadowed by him. My own child, reduced to second best. Not even Thalia could outdo him. And she chose a life serving Artemis. Now she'll live forever, always a testament to my failure. A mocking figure, never to die. _

"_You, Jason, cannot be the same. You must rise above her, above Poseidon's brat, above all demigods before you. You are favoured by Juno, blessed by Jupiter. You have all the potential to be the greatest. _

"_During the war with Gaea, you showed your true colours. And though you partnered with Jackson, you revealed that there isn't only one great modern demigod. This quest, son, this quest is your chance. _

"_Prove to Olympus that you are mightier than Perseus Jackson. It is ordained by the Fates. It is-"_

_Jason abruptly stood up. "Stop, father. Stop talking."_

_Zeus paused in surprise. "What is it, Jason?"_

_Jason's eyes were covered by his hair. "You want me to be better than Percy. Fine, I get it. But that is not what I want."_

"_Then what do you want, son?"_

"_I want to live the rest of my life in freedom! I don't want to be a leader. I don't want to be responsible for the lives of others. I don't want it. I didn't ask for it in the first place. _

"_You said I was miracle. But I'm not! I'm an accident! Caused by your selfish desires. You say I'm special. But I'm not! I'm just another of your millions of sons. Look at Hercules! You made him a god. But all he does is guard two fricking mountains! He is the most powerful demigod of all time. And you treat him like dirt. He hates you! All your sons do! And me? I'll probably be no different from them. _

"_So what if I'm not as great as Percy. I don't care!"_

_Zeus's face contorted with rage. He raised his palm and slapped Jason across the face. _

"_You will regret those words, Jason Grace. No one dishonours the King of the Gods! No one!"_

Jason shot up from the bed, panting heavily. He rubbed his forehead and wiped away the sweat.

_I fell asleep, _he thought. _But the memory didn't stop. It continued into my dreams. _He covered his face with his hands.

_What the heck is happening to me?_

* * *

><p>That's the end of Chapter 4. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, especially the flashback scene. Next chapter, we'll be going back to Percy, Nico and Dick so I'll see you all hopefully next weekend. Review!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Hey, everyone! Sorry I couldn't update last weekend but I had several tests in school these past two weeks and I had no time to write. This might happen occasionally but hopefully not too often. And yeah, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

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><p>Chapter 5: Emo vs Jock<p>

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><p>The sound of a bird chirping was what woke Percy from his sleep. He opened his eyes and yawned, stretching as he did so. The sun was shining brightly through his window and the gardens around Wayne Manor gleamed beautifully.<p>

Percy rubbed his forehead and sighed. Last night's rest had brought no consolation. He stared out the window, gazing at the perfect rows of finely trimmed shrubbery.

_Annabeth, what are we doing? Our plans were to spend the rest of our lives in peace. Instead, we're on another errand for the gods. It's like we're in a cycle of false hope. And I don't see how we can ever get out of it. _

A knock on the door wrested him from his thoughts.

"Master Percy," he recognized Alfred's voice, "Breakfast is about to be served. If you wish to be on time for school, I suggest you get up."

"Thanks, Alfred. And please, call me Percy. I'd rather not be called 'Master' at this point."

"As you wish, Percy, now hurry."

Percy got out of bed and went downstairs. Nico and Dick were already there. Dick was eating toast smeared with grape jelly while Nico opted for a single boiled egg.

The son of Poseidon sat down and started eating pancakes, which were, unfortunately, not the colour blue. He gobbled it down and took a large gulp of orange juice.

Dick sat back. "So, guys, last night Alfred looked around the city for a proper place for you guys to stay. He didn't find anything but we'll keep looking. So for now you can stay here until we find something."

"Thanks for doing all this for us," Percy said, "It really means a lot."

"Yeah, man, no problem," Dick replied, "School starts in half an hour." He stood up. "I'm gonna get ready. Thanks for the meal, Alfred."

The butler nodded and started clearing the table. Percy followed Dick but Nico stayed behind to help. He picked up a plate and placed it in the sink.

"Oh, Master Nico, please. I'll handle this. You go get ready for school," Alfred said.

Nico shook his head. "No. It's okay. I wanna help."

Together they finished the cleaning and Nico put the last cup in the dishwasher. Alfred wiped his hands and thanked him.

"My thanks, Master Nico."

"Please don't call me Master. It hurts my ears. Call me Nico."

Alfred nodded. "Very well. Now, hurry upstairs and get ready."

Nico obeyed and walked into the bathroom. Dick and Percy were combing their hair. He rolled his eyes at them and brushed his teeth.

After getting ready, Alfred pulled the car round and they drove up to Gotham Academy. The boys got out and headed into the school. The hallways were clean and orderly, as befitting a school for overly rich kids.

Nico glimpsed his locker from afar and cringed visibly as he saw Maria waiting. He sighed and prepared for the worst.

"Hey, Nico."

"Hey."

"What's your first period?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. Don't care."

Maria grabbed his schedule and compared it to hers.

"Hmm. You have History first. I have Science. But next block we both have Socials. I'll sit next to you."

"Please don't."

She smirked and punched him on the arm. He rubbed the sore spot and looked her in the eye.

"Don't touch me. I don't like being touched."

Maria raised her eyebrows and tasered him. He made a little noise that sounded like a whimper.

"Ooh, are you sensitive there?"

He turned away, slightly embarrassed.

"Of course not."

She tasered him again and he slapped her hand away.

"Stop it."

Maria face lit in an evil grin.

"Make me."

Percy walked past the byplay, smiling slightly. He went to his locker which was farther down the hall. Putting his stuff inside, he shut the door and nearly screamed as someone poked him on the shoulder.

He whirled around to see Sydney. She laughed.

"Wow, you're jumpy."

He rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry. I- I tend to be scared of people coming up behind me."

She chewed thoughtfully and blew a bubble of gum from her mouth. "Is gum allowed in school?" He asked.

Sydney shook her head. "Nope. But most of the teachers don't really care for all the rules."

Dick crept silently up behind her and poked the bubble, causing it to pop and splatter across her face. He laughed loudly as she fumed and glared at the shorter boy.

"I'll get you back for that, Dick Grayson."

He smirked. "Sure. Go ahead."

Sydney rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Dick, sometimes I hate you so much."

Dick shrugged. "It's part of my charm."

They joined Nico and Maria and started walking to their classes. On the way, they went past a group of jocks and cheerleaders. One of them locked eyes with Percy and leered at him. The demigod turned away, disinterested.

As they neared their respective classes, they separated, Percy, Nico and Sydney going to History while Dick and Maria went to Science. Percy sat down at the back where there was a row of three desks. Nico sat to his left and Sydney to his right.

The class began and their teacher started speaking about the first Titan War.

"As we all know, in Greek Mythology, Kronos's eldest sons, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, defeated their father and cut him up into a millions pieces. That was the end of the Titan War. There was never to be another, for Kronos's essence was forever scattered in the abyss of Tartarus.

"This event marked the beginning of Zeus's reign as King of the Heavens and all the stories of demigods like Hercules and Achilles, stem from this time."

All of a sudden, Sydney stood up and raised her hand. Mr. Holmes looked over his glasses at her. "Yes, Miss Brown, do you have a question?"

"No, a comment. Mr. Holmes, that Titan war was only the first. There was another one and it happened just a year ago, in Manhattan."

Percy and Nico's eyes widened and they looked at each other instantly. There was silence in the class. Then everyone, save Percy and Nico, burst out laughing.

Mr. Holmes was doubled over. Percy and Nico locked eyes and they seemed to have a physic conversation.

_What is this? A joke?_

_No. It's real. She's not lying._

_But- but the Battle of New York was… you know, secret. _

_Obviously not. _

_Okay, we can't let Sydney out of our sight. _

_I agree. We should kill her. _

_No! We can't do that! _

_Fine. We'll watch her. _

_How, though?_

The laughter subsided and Mr. Holmes cleared his throat.

"Miss Brown, are you suggesting that Greek Mythology is, in fact, real?"

She nodded affirmatively. "Yes, sir. There was a battle," she held her head as if it hurt to remember, "I was really groggy so I couldn't see much but I did see many teenagers fighting giant monsters."

Mr. Holmes stared at her as if she had two heads.

"Miss Brown, this is a school. Not a mental asylum. Now, if you don't have anything else to say, I strongly suggest that you sit down."

Sydney scowled and slowly took a seat. The class continued but Percy and Nico didn't pay much attention.

The bell rang and they left the classroom. A nerdy looking guy came up to Sydney outside her locker and started laughing and teasing her. She did her best to ignore him but he roughly pulled her to face him.

Percy stepped in between them and shoved the nerdy guy away.

"Hey, leave her alone."

The guy's face scrunched up in anger.

"You did not just push me. Don't you know who I am?! I'm Jay Michaels!" He stepped in close. "Now get out of my way, peasant."

Percy looked down with disdain at him. Then he balled up his fist and swung, stopping mere millimetres from Jay's face.

Jay shrieked and back-pedalled furiously. "You- how dare you?"

Percy turned away. "Frick off. While you still can."

Jay ran.

Sydney looked at him with respect.

"Th- thanks, Percy. No one's ever done that for me before."

He smiled. "It's no trouble. I just don't like bullies."

They went to their next class and sat together. Nico squirmed in his seat as Maria tickled him and Dick was busy charming some random girl. The next two periods passed quickly and soon it was time for lunch.

The five of them sat down at a table with their food. They ate quietly, not saying much. Sydney seemed distant and un-talkative.

The same group of jocks and cheerleaders walked past them. One of them tapped another on the shoulder and gestured to Percy. He nodded and strode over. Percy looked up. It was the same guy that had leered at him earlier.

Sydney seemed to shrink further into her own personal bubble. Dick narrowed his eyes and Nico tensed up.

The jock was tall, with dirty blonde hair. One half of it came down over his right eye. The left half rose up in a spiky flow. His face was handsome and pimple-less. His arms were well-muscled and he carried an air of supreme arrogance.

He looked down at Percy.

"Percy Jackson."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

He extended his hand. "My name is Marco Levine. Nice to meet you."

Percy shook it. "Ditto."

Marco brushed his hand off on his school blazer and swallowed.

"Word is that you messed with my man Jay. I don't appreciate that."

Percy glared at him defiantly. "Your man Jay messed with my girl Sydney first. I didn't appreciate that either."

Marco's mouth curled into a smirk.

"Then it appears we're at a stalemate."

"Seems that way."

Marco's gaze drifted over Maria and landed on Nico.

"You, emo boy, what's your name?"

Nico scowled fiercely. "I'm not emo."

"That's what they all say."

The son of Hades slowly rose to his feet, having to look up to meet Marco's eyes.

"Then they'd be right."

Marco sighed. "I can see that you guys are going to be trouble. Now I don't want to do this, but I might have to."

Dick stood up quickly. "Marco-"

"Stay out of this, Grayson!" Marco barked, "I gave you a chance to join me, but you refused. Your word holds no meaning."

Nico bared his teeth. "I think my fists do, though."

He stepped forward but two beefy members of Marco's entourage got in his way.

Nico flattened one with a powerful right cross. Then he grabbed the other's head and smashed it into a table. A third charged but Nico sent him across the room with an open palm hit to the chest.

He leapt into a roundhouse but Marco blocked it solidly. Dick tried to come in between them but Percy stopped him.

"No, Dick," he said, "Let Nico do his thing."

Marco kept his fists up as he dodged Nico's furious attacks, looking for an opening. He weaved and bobbed, keeping his body movements fluid. His eyes darted around.

An opening presented itself when Nico landed awkwardly on one foot. Marco planted his feet and landed a devastating punch to Nico's jaw. The demigod flew backwards from the impact, his light body crashing onto a tabletop.

"Nico!" Maria cried.

She ran to his side. "Are you okay?" She helped him to a sitting position. He spit some blood from his mouth and brushed her hand away.

"It's fine. Just a scratch."

He stood up and stepped in front of her. "Stay back, Maria. I don't want you getting hurt."

Maria blushed slightly.

"N-Nico…"

He walked forward purposefully. Marco flashed an arrogant smirk and beckoned to him. By this time, a giant crowd of students had gathered round to witness the fight.

In Gotham Academy, fights were rare and it was considered a treat to see one. And this was certainly more than just a fistfight.

Nico swung his left arm first and followed it up with his right. Marco evaded both strikes and countered with a sidekick. Nico batted it aside and drove Marco into a table.

Marco leapt onto the table and Nico followed. They exchanged blows quickly, Nico always striding forward, forcing Marco back. The son of Hades launched himself into a double-footed kick and sent Marco crashing through several tables and chairs.

He gritted his teeth and swore. Grabbing a chair, he swung it at Nico who ducked just his time. On the back swing, Marco connected with Nico's sternum. He grunted and ripped the chair from his hands.

They locked arms and tumbled to the ground, thrashing about as they wrestled. Marco got Nico into a chokehold and started squeezing. Nico's face quickly turned blue, as his body wasn't in the best condition anyway.

Percy winced and did his best to hold himself back from helping. But he knew that this fight was important to Nico. The Ghost King needed to find a place at this school and he'd have to do it by asserting himself as the strongest. It wasn't an easy decision, but Percy knew it was right.

Nico struggled to break Marco's hold. He cursed bitterly as his breath supply waned. Bucking like a wild animal, he rolled over and started elbowing Marco in the gut. Finally, the hold loosened and Nico scrambled away.

He held his throat as he regained his breath. Then Marco body slammed him into a wall. Nico bit down on his arm and Marco screamed in pain. Then he kicked him away and rose to his feet.

The two faced each other, both bruised and bloody. They panted for breath as they prepared for a final bout. Marco looked at Nico with a newfound respect.

"You, what's your name?"

"Nico. Nico Di Angelo."

Marco nodded. "Well then, it's been a pleasure fighting you. But I'm afraid it must end now."

"I agree. Let's finish this."

They circled each other, both not wanting to make the first move. Both right fists went up and they charged at the same time. Their blows connected and the fight was on again.

As if reinvigorated, the two battled with new passion. Then slowly, Nico began to take the upper hand. He flipped off a chair and side-kicked him into a table. Then he landed two heavy body blows.

Marco stumbled and shook his head to clear it. Nico saw his chance and lifted his foot high in the air. He swung it down and connected with the top of Marco's head in a shattering axe-kick.

Blood exploded out of Marco's mouth. He fell to his knees and then collapsed, defeated.

Nico sighed with relief and sank into a chair. There was silence in the room. No one here had ever experienced such a fierce fight so they didn't know what to do. Slowly, they walked off, whispering amongst themselves. Marco's entourage carried his limp body away.

Percy grinned wide. He had made the right decision. Maria ran to Nico's side and began to treat his injuries. Dick and Sydney stayed back. Nico stood up, limping slightly.

He went up to Percy and leaned against his friend.

"Never thought I'd have that much trouble with a mortal," he whispered.

Percy chuckled slightly. "Maybe we underestimated them. That was one heck of a fight."

Nico scowled. "Yeah, it hurts."

"Here," Percy supported him, "We'll get you home and I'll feed you some ambrosia."

"That'd be nice."

Dick stared after the two demigods as they walked away, the taller supporting the shorter. Sydney and Maria hadn't heard their quiet whispering, but he had.

_Mortals, huh? Is that what we are? That's offensive. So if we're mortals, then what are you? _

* * *

><p>So what'd you think? This chapter contained the first real in-depth fight scene in this story. It wasn't too long but I hope you enjoyed it. And if you were Dick, what'd be the first suspicion that came to mind if you heard their whispering? Thanks for reading and I'll see you at Chapter 6.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Hey, everyone! I'd just like to say thanks for all the incredible support. You guys are awesome! Now, with this chapter, I'm doing something special. It's part 1 of a 2 part storyline. I will be uploading part 2 after New Year's. Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 6: The Investigation Part 1<p>

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><p>Dick lay awake in his bed. He stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought.<p>

_Mortals. That's right. We are mortals. By why call us that specifically? Are- are you immortals? No. No, that's not possible. Nothing on the physical plane is immortal. But what are you then?_

He groaned and sat up. Rubbing his eyes, he got out of bed and went downstairs. He entered a room and softly played three keys on a piano. The bookshelf behind the piano opened and he stepped through into an elevator.

It descended quickly and soon he was at the bottom. Dick stepped out into the Batcave. Its dark walls gleamed with a smooth light. Strange artefacts were littered about the place.

At the Batcomputer, Dick glimpsed a shadowy figure. He smiled and walked over to it. The figure turned to reveal the face of Batman.

"Dick. Good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Bruce. What happened in your Metropolis trip?"

Batman turned back to the computer.

"It was a simple mission. Superman needed my help to solve a riddle." He paused and continued, "I hear that two friends of yours are staying over here. Care to explain?"

"Uh, yeah, they're friends from school. They didn't have a place to stay so I invited them here."

"Fair enough."

Dick moved closer and gestured to the screen.

"What are you looking at?"

"A clue I found in Metropolis. It's a strange golden dust that seems to be located in most major crime scenes. It's very miniscule and is almost impossible to see. But I ran it through the computer and the scan is just coming up now."

He clicked a few keys and frowned. "What is this? The scan was inconclusive. The computer can't find any known elements within this substance."

"Is it extraterrestrial?" Dick asked.

"Could be."

"What if it's magic?"

"I don't believe in magic."

"Except you know it's real. Why don't I get Zatanna to look at it? Maybe she could identify it."

"That's not necessary. I'll file it away for future reference. For now, it doesn't lead anywhere."

"Are you sure, Bruce?"

Batman shut the Batcomputer off.

"Yes. Tomorrow night, I'll be at the Hall of Justice. There's some League business that I have to attend to so I'll need either you or Barbara to complete the rounds. Understand?"

Dick nodded. "Yeah."

"Good. I'm going to get some sleep. See you in the morning."

"Good night, Bruce."

Batman removed his cape and cowl then took off his body suit. He stepped into the elevator and went upstairs. Dick stayed behind and went to the Batcomputer.

He accessed the golden dust file and studied it intently.

_Golden dust. Extraterrestrial dust? Magical dust? Or is it… immortal dust? _

Dick grabbed his wrist computer and created a file. Naming it 'Mortals', he took a small sample of the dust and scanned it onto his device. Then he shut the Batcomputer off and headed up to bed.

* * *

><p>At school that day, the five of them, Percy, Dick Nico, Sydney and Maria strode down the hall as everyone, literally everyone stared at them. The teachers of course were completely oblivious to the events that occurred yesterday in the cafeteria.<p>

Percy did his best to ignore them but Nico stared them back down, not blinking once. Dick sighed silently, realizing that his nerdy, annoying spoiled brat reputation was forever tarnished. He was now Dick Grayson, friend of the emo who beat Marco Levine.

It didn't really matter to him but he'd miss being able to play pranks without people constantly looking over his shoulder in case Nico might be there to beat them up.

They cycled through the morning classes without much trouble. No one gave them any grief and they kept their distance. The story had by now spread throughout the entire school.

At lunch, Dick was the last to get his food. He set his food down beside his friends and they ate in silence. Suddenly, all the chatter around the room faded. He looked up and turned towards the entrance.

Standing there was Marco. A bandage was on his right cheek but other than that he looked fine. His brown hair was even combed. Everyone watched as he nonchalantly picked up his food and headed to a table. _Their _table.

He sat down beside Percy and started eating. No one moved. He paused and coughed slightly.

"You know," he said, "All your food's getting cold. You might want to eat it."

Slowly, everyone in the room turned back to their lunch, occasionally sneaking glances at him and whispering to each other. Marco smiled slightly. "So how's everyone doing?"

Nico responded instantly.

"Fine, actually. How about you?"

"Very well, thank you."

A very awkward silence ensued. Nico and Marco seemed unfazed by it, hungrily munching their respective meals. Percy coughed lightly. Dick scratched an itch. Sydney pulled her hair behind her ear. Maria blinked a few times.

The bell signalling the end of lunch bailed them out. Everyone except Nico and Marco rose quickly and hurried went to their lockers. Marco glanced at Nico and raised his eyebrows.

"I wonder if it was something I said?"

Nico shrugged. "Perhaps."

In Math that day, Percy groaned as he realised he didn't have a pencil. He went and asked Dick for one.

"Hey, Dick, can I borrow a pencil or pen?"

"Oh, sure. Here." He pulled out a blue pen. "There's a label with my name on it so you won't forget to return it."

"Thanks, man."

* * *

><p>At the end of the day, Alfred drove them home. Dick quickly went upstairs, saying he had homework. But he really went to the Batcave. Bruce was there, brooding in a chair as he stared at the computer screen.<p>

It displayed the Golden Dust file but nothing had been added. Bruce didn't look at Dick as he arrived.

"Dick, what is your infatuation with this file?"

Dick cursed silently. "What do you mean?"

"You took a sample of the dust. Why?"

"I- I'm just interested. I mean, if you're not going to look into it, then why can't I?"

"It's not that, Dick. What do you see in this that… interests you?"

Dick hesitated. "Bruce, it- it's an anomaly. This is the first time that the Batcomputer has had an inconclusive scan for elements. Even in kryptonite we found similar elements to that of Earth's. Don't you want to find out what it is?"

Bruce sighed. "Normally, I would. But not this time."

"Why?" Dick questioned.

"I made a promise. A promise to a dear friend."

"Who?"

"I won't say. But you do know them."

"At least let me look into it, Bruce."

Bruce shook his head. "No, Dick."

"Come on, trust me with this. I have a lead."

Bruce's eyes widened. "You what?" He stood up. "Dick, whatever you do, do not follow that lead. It can only take you down a dark path. A path of war."

Dick focused his steely gaze on his adopted father.

"Then I'll follow it. This dust is a mystery. And I want to solve it. Please don't try to stop me."

Bruce turned away. "Dick, you don't understand where this path leads. If you uncover the truth, peace will no longer exist. A war will occur. It will bring devastation to this world. It could destroy it."

"What are the sides? A war always has sides. What are they?"

Bruce hesitated. "You- you wouldn't understand. Even I find it hard to believe."

"What, Bruce? What do you find hard to believe?"

"The fact that there's a difference between mortals and…"

"And what?"

A small crackling sound was heard. Bruce put his finger to his ear.

"Yes," he said, "Very well, I'll be there soon. Batman out."

Bruce was wearing his Batsuit and he took it off now. He started walking to the elevator. He stopped and spoke without turning. "Leave this mystery be, Dick. It's not worth the cost you'll pay to solve it. Now come on, it's time for dinner. And I have yet to meet these friends of yours."

The dinner table was silent that night. Percy and Nico didn't know what to make of Bruce Wayne. He was tall and handsome, friendly and welcoming. But both demigods could sense something underneath the smile. It was like he was studying them.

The meal ended quickly and Bruce announced that he was heading to D.C. for a business trip. Percy and Nico went up to Percy's room for a discussion.

Percy sat on the bed while Nico leaned against the wall.

Nico spoke first. "You've felt it haven't you?"

Percy nodded. "Of course."

"Tartarus has released two powerful monsters into Gotham. Perhaps it is in response to our presence."

Percy cracked his knuckles. "In any case, we have to hunt them down. I am not gonna let Thalia get the kill this time either."

Nico groaned at the memory. "Yeah, that day sucked. And I still owe Thalia for saving my butt from Orion."

Percy grimaced. "Yeah, I owe her for a lot of things. What did you think of Bruce Wayne?"

Nico paused. "I don't trust him. He was nice enough but whenever I turned my back I felt his eyes glaring at me. It was unnerving."

Percy nodded. "Yeah, definitely. He isn't what he seems."

"When should we leave?" Nico asked.

"I'd say midnight. And we can't let Dick or Alfred know that we're going out."

"Of course."

They spent the rest of the evening planning and soon they got ready for bed. Bruce had just left for the airport and everyone was tired. The two of them said good night and went into their bedrooms.

At the stroke of midnight, Nico shadow-travelled into Percy's room. The older demigod was ready and waiting, already dressed.

"You good to go?" Nico asked.

Percy nodded affirmatively. "Yeah. Let's go."

Moving through the shadows, the two teens sneaked out of Wayne Manor and hit the road headed for the city.

* * *

><p>Dick sighed as he rode down the elevator into the Batcave. Tonight was going to be a long night. He stepped out and strode over to where his suit was kept. As he looked up at it, he realized something.<p>

_My suit's getting pretty small. I'll need another resizing soon. _

He pulled it on, wincing as the now super-tight body armour clicked into place. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, loosening his joints. Loading his utility belt, he next went to the Batmobile. I mean, why not? Batman wasn't here.

Dick stepped inside and entered the code for opening the gate. Then he drove out at high speed. The city lights loomed in front of him as he entered Gotham.

The patrol went smoothly, Robin having to stop only a few times to thwart a robbery, rape and attempted murder. He cruised down the streets, feeling quite bored and tired. Yawning, he decided to do one more sweep of the city, and then head home.

* * *

><p>Percy sniffed the air. He scratched his head and bent down to study the ground.<p>

"Percy, what are you doing?" Nico questioned.

"I'm hunting the monster. When I sniff the air and study the ground, I get an image in my head of where it is. Now, shush, I'm concentrating."

Nico watched and sweatdropped as Percy shuffled around the street, earning strange looks from those who passed by. The son of Hades sighed and facepalmed. He walked over and grabbed Percy's shoulder.

"Okay, enough. This isn't getting us anywhere. We need the monster to come to us."

Percy stopped. "How do we do that?"

Nico gestured to a phone booth. "We call someone."

Percy went over to it and dialled a random number.

"Hello," a man's voice said, "This is Barry Allen."

"Uh, hi, I'm Percy Jackson, you may or may not have heard of me."

There was an awkward pause.

Barry coughed. "That's uh… enlightening. Percy, by any chance did you get the wrong number?"

"No… I don't think so."

"I kinda think you did."

"Yeah, well, I'm adopted. I can't help it."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. My dad's Poseidon."

"That's cool. Wait, what?"

Percy hung up. "There. That should do it."

Nico nodded. "Now all we do is wait."

They went to a deserted park so people wouldn't get in the way. The night was cold and they shivered as they sat together on a bench. As time waned on, they began to drift into slumber.

Time and again they shook themselves awake but they couldn't prevent it. Their eyelids closed. Some time later, a cold breath washed over them. The two boys stirred and opened their eyes.

A tall man stood in front of them. His hair was white and long and his face was fair but looked wise. His eyes were sky blue and they shone brilliantly. He was dressed simply in a black shirt and grey trench coat. A long broadsword was clipped to his back.

Percy and Nico sat up abruptly.

"Who are you?" Nico demanded.

The man sighed. "I always hated this part. My name is John. And I'm one of the monsters you're looking for."

Percy studied him. "You don't seem like a monster."

John nodded. "I know. I've been told that many times. But I can assure you, I am a monster."

The two demigods slowly withdrew their swords. John held up his hands. "Please, we don't have to fight. Let's… let's make a compromise."

Nico scowled. "There's no such thing as compromise with the enemy. Now draw your sword."

John's bright eyes dimmed slightly. He sighed again.

"You demigods are all the same. You never listen. Prepare yourselves. Things might get ugly when I draw my sword."

John slowly reached up his hand to grasp the sword hilt. His eyes flared and he withdrew it at great speed. Instantly, ice exploded from the ground, covering the park. Percy and Nico did their best to avoid it.

Then John charged forward, swinging his sword in a great arc. Percy blocked with Riptide but was thrown back by the force of the blow. Nico ran along the ground and slashed upwards, his Stygian Iron blade slicing through the air.

The monster parried and countered with an overhead strike that made Nico's knees shake. Percy rushed in to help his friend and thrust Riptide at John's gut. The tall man leaped back and swung his sword. Ice shards shot out from it towards Percy.

The son of Poseidon rolled to the side but got cut on his calf by one. He winced and got up again. Nico dashed forwards with a powerful strike. John sidestepped, throwing Nico off balance. Then he kicked viciously into Nico's chest.

Nico gasped as the breath was knocked out of him. He coughed several times and barely parried another attack. Percy concentrated and sensed a small creek nearby.

His gut wrenched and the water shot towards them. He directed it at John and yelled as he increased the velocity. John fixed his eyes on the massive wave coming towards him and simply raised his sword.

As the wave neared him it started crystallizing rapidly. Soon, all of it had been turned to ice. Percy and Nico were wide-eyed with disbelief. John remained stone-faced.

The two demigods stared at their opponent as he waited. Nico gritted his teeth. Percy swallowed hard.

John looked away. "If you're not going to fight, then what's the point of this?"

"Who are you?!" Percy demanded.

"I told you already. I'm John."

"Then how come we've never heard of you if you're so powerful?"

"Most people haven't. And I like it that way."

"But how?"

"How? Simple. I don't leave any witnesses."

John charged forward again.

"Percy," Nico gasped, "We need a plan."

"How? He's not giving us any breathing room."

"If you can hold him for a few seconds, I'll summon some skeletons which will give us time to think up a plan."

Percy shuddered. "You know I hate it when you do that."

"Well, you'll just have to suck it up for a few minutes. Can you do that?"

"O- of course."

"Then shut up and let's do it."

The two demigods readied themselves as John attacked. Percy ran forward and their swords clashed. They were in a deadlock. Percy concentrated and started driving him back.

Nico took a deep breath and plunged his sword into the ground. Instantly, a crack split open the earth and a hand made of bone clawed its way from it. The rest of body soon followed. Three of these monsters appeared. They stood in a row, awaiting orders.

The Ghost King raised his hand. "Serve me and defeat that monster!"

They turned and advanced on John. Nico collapsed from the effort. John swore and kicked Percy to the side. He growled fiercely.

"Undead scum."

Percy ran back to where Nico was. They stopped for a few seconds to catch their breath.

"We have to end this quickly." Percy said.

Nico nodded. "Yeah."

Percy sighed. "Ugh. If only we had Leo here. He could just burn this guy."

Nico looked down. "You know that's impossible. Leo is-"

"Leo is alive." Percy insisted. "I know it."

"Whatever you say, Percy. Now let's focus. Nothing we've tried so far has worked. He froze your water and he's slicing up my skeletons as we speak. What else to we have?"

Percy shrugged. "I dunno. The best we can do is distract him."

Nico shook his head. "That's not good enough."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "Nico, summon as many skeletons as you can. I'm gonna call Mrs O'Leary and I'll charge him with them. Maybe we'll be able to swamp him."

Nico hesitated then sighed. "It's worth a shot."

John finished off the last skeleton and returned his attention to the demigods. What he saw made him cringe.

Percy sat astride a giant hellhound with an army of skeletons at his back. The son of Poseidon drew Riptide and yelled. Like a massive tidal wave, the swarm of skeletons moved forward, forcing John to back up.

As he rode, Percy thought he felt something fall from his pocket, but he paid it no mind. There was a battle to win. John stood still and then lowered his sword. He sighed and smiled slightly.

"I lose."

Percy swung hard with Riptide and cleaved straight through John's chest. He started dissolving but he grunted and turned his head towards his killer.

"Perseus Jackson, well done. But beware, for there is one other monster you must defeat. He is my brother, Nicolai. Do not underestimate him." He closed his eyes. "The life of a monster is one of hardship. To be killed, over and over, regenerating, seeking revenge, it's just a circle misfortune.

"Everyday, I curse the Fates for their cruel judgement. I envy you demigods. You are not restricted by anything. A life of freedom, that is what you live. And that is something I shall never have."

He sighed again. "Well, looks like Tartarus is calling me home. My thanks, young demigods. You made my last battle, at the very least, one worth remembering."

With those words, John faded away, leaving a small pile of golden dust lying on the ground. Nico's skeleton army also disappeared. Percy sighed with relief and laid his head on Mrs O'Leary's back.

The hellhound purred slightly as she carried Percy over to where Nico lay. The two teens looked at each other for a moment. Then they grinned wide and bumped fists.

Nico climbed on behind Percy.

"It's too late to search for the other one tonight. Let's go home."

Percy nodded. "Yeah."

Suddenly, two headlights zeroed in on them. They covered their eyes, squinting from the brightness. Percy looked at the car and gasped.

"Is that who I think it is?"

"Yeah," Nico said, "That's Batman."

* * *

><p>Dick glimpsed the commotion in the park from several blocks away. He fired the engines and shot down the empty streets, making a beeline for the park. As he neared, the headlights focused on some strange figures in the shadows.<p>

He narrowed his eyes, trying to make them out. Two people, on top of what looked like a giant dog.

* * *

><p>Smashing through the park gates, the Batmobile thundered as it approached. Nico cursed.<p>

"Mrs O'Leary! Shadow Travel!"

The hellhound barked in response and prepared to jump. The car peeled around a corner and right into their pathway. The shadows started enclosing them.

* * *

><p>Dick gritted his teeth as he accelerated to even greater speeds. No matter how bright his headlights, he couldn't make out their faces. It seemed as if a shadow was slowly covering them.<p>

* * *

><p>Mrs O'Leary was almost through. Percy glanced frantically at the approaching vehicle. Then they were through.<p>

* * *

><p>Dick cursed and hit the brakes as the figures disappeared. The Batmobile drifted to a stop and he sat there for a minute. Then he got out and walked over to where they had stood.<p>

He gasped. All around the area was a layer of fine golden dust. He scooped up some of it as evidence and turned to leave. Then he felt something crunch under his foot. Bending down, he picked up the object. It was a pen. He turned it over and found a nametag. Dick's eyes widened.

_Name: Dick Grayson_

* * *

><p>Wow, longest chapter yet. And a whole bunch of foreshadowing. See if you can figure out some of them for fun. And I might just use some of your ideas if I like them. Also, if you were Dick, what would you do at this point? Thanks so much for reading and I'll see you all in 2015. Merry Christmas!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Hey, everyone! I hope you all had a great New Year's! As promised, this is part 2 of The Investigation. Thanks for all the support, you guys are super awesome and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: The Investigation Part 2<p>

* * *

><p>Dick glared at the screen of the Batcomputer as it ran a scan on the pen. He thought through every scenario, every solution, but nothing could take away the fact that Percy Jackson had been in that park.<p>

_What am I supposed to do? Arrest him? Question him privately? He's my friend so I can't do it as Dick Grayson. But, interrogating him as Robin? No, it could- it could traumatize him. I can't do that to him. _

The elevator dinged and the door opened to reveal Alfred. The butler strode over to him.

"Master Dick, it is 5:00 in the morning. Have you been up all this time?"

Dick nodded. "Yes."

Alfred sighed. "You should rest. At least for an hour. Otherwise, you won't be able to go to school."

Dick shook his head. "I'm sorry Alfred, but I can't. I- I'm deep in thought."

"I'm afraid that that's not the case, Master Dick. You're brooding. Not thinking. There's a difference."

Dick smiled slightly. "You're right. But I'm not going to bed."

Alfred raised one eyebrow. "You're sounding a little like you used to when you first arrived here."

"You mean like a child?"

"With all due respect, yes."

Dick smiled slightly. "All right, Alfred. I'll rest."

* * *

><p>Percy and Nico awoke that morning in a daze. They had shadow travelled their way back to Wayne Manor and crawled into Percy's room. But neither demigod had the strength to move and they fell asleep instantly.<p>

Nico groaned and stretched his sore muscles. There was a steady pain in his head and chest from summoning so many skeletons and several cuts covered his body.

In the bathroom, he did his best to hide the ones on his face and hands. They weren't deep, just minor scrapes, but they were plentiful and stung painfully.

Percy came inside and glanced at them.

"Good thing you ain't got any on your wrists."

Nico looked at him, confused. "What?"

Percy scowled. "Trust me. It's a bad place to be."

"What is?"

"I- I don't like talking about it." He walked away, leaving Nico to ponder his words.

They went downstairs for breakfast to see Dick sitting comfortably in Bruce's seat at the table. He looked tired and worn out. Not unlike they did.

Dick forced a smile on his face.

"Hey. Sleep well?"

"No." Nico answered.

Dick nodded. "I figured as much. We're running a little late today so I suggest that you eat quickly."

The two boys sat down and began eating. Dick seemed very cordial and straightforward as he ate. When they finished, Alfred took their plates away and ordered them upstairs to get ready quickly.

Soon after, they arrived at the school and stepped out. Dick led the way through the courtyard. A tall redheaded girl was standing at the entrance, leaning against a wall. She turned towards them and smiled.

"Hey, Dick."

He smiled back. "Hey, Barbara."

"Who are these two?" She asked.

"They're my friends, Percy and Nico."

Barbara smiled. "Nice to meet you."

The two boys nodded and said hi. Barbara took Dick aside.

"Dick, we were supposed to go on patrol together. What happened?"

He hesitated. "I, uh, I ran into some trouble. Those two you just met, I have evidence that they were at a crime scene in Gotham Park. They're my friends and I don't want to bring them in for questioning, so I'm just watching them for now."

Barbara glanced back at them. "Hmm. They seem like good people to me. And that's just from our first meeting."

Dick nodded. "Yeah, I know. But I don't- I don't trust them."

"All right. Do what you think is right. But Dick, be careful. Strange things have been happening in Gotham recently. Freak storms, unexplainable collateral damage, all of kinds of stuff."

"I know. But I may have a clue that links it all together. I'm not certain yet but I'll do some more investigating."

"What's the clue?"

"I can't show you here."

The school bell rang and the two friends separated as they went to their classes. Dick sat down beside Percy and tried to focus on the teacher. But it was no use. His eyes kept drifting to study the boy beside him.

_Who are you? _

The class ended and they went to their lockers. Dick glanced down the hall as Nico was cornered by Maria. _They seem just like ordinary teenagers. So why do I get this feeling?_

* * *

><p>At lunch break, Percy headed to the bathroom. He passed by several people who either stared or averted their eyes. Suddenly he turned a corner and crashed into a girl.<p>

"Oh, I'm so sorry." He said instantly.

"No, no, it's fine." The girl replied. She was medium height, with long golden hair and a pretty face. Her eyes were dark and she looked tough. Percy helped her to her feet.

"You all right?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm good." Her eyes lit with recognition. "Oh, hey, you're Percy Jackson. You're friends with Sydney, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, that's me. Who are you?"

"I'm Artemis."

Percy's eyed widened. "You- you're who?"

"Artemis."

"But- but why aren't you twelve?"

She looked at him, confused.

"Excuse me?"

"You don't look like Artemis, either. Did you get a godly makeover, or something? N- not that your old form was ugly or anything, but… Oh, gods, don't tell me you brought Thalia."

"Who?"

"You know, Thalia, leader of the Hunters?"

"I have no idea who or what you're talking about."

Percy swore silently as he realized the fact.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else."

Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"Mm hmm. Well then, I guess I'll see you around."

"Huh? Uh, yeah, see you."

She strode off and Percy mentally kicked himself.

_Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap! I totally messed that up! Gods, that was a close one._

* * *

><p>Nico lay out on the roof of the school, having just finished eating his lunch. Maria was seated beside him.<p>

"Nico, how did you know how to get up here? You've only been at the school for a few days."

He shrugged. "I just found it. No particular reason."

She glanced at him. "Nico, why did you fight Marco?"

Nico paused. "He was threatening my friends."

"Your friends?"

"Yeah. You, Percy, Dick, Sydney, you're my friends."

Maria smiled slightly. "I- I've never been part of a group of friends before."

"No? What about your, uh… your, uh, e-emo friends?"

She looked away. "Sure, I guess they're my friends. But I never felt like I belonged, you know? It was like they accepted me because I was like them on the outside. But they never truly knew me. And I never truly knew them."

Nico nodded slightly. "I think I understand. A little while ago, I didn't have any friends. I felt rejected. I couldn't fit in anywhere. My mother and sister were dead. My father didn't care for me. And the one guy I looked up to, he betrayed me. That's how I felt.

"I got into some pretty dark stuff. Witchcraft, dark spells, anything to blot out my own pain and destroy my enemies. It was hard. But I didn't care. I was too dead to the world to care. I cycled through life, hoping to find something of significance. Somewhere I could belong.

"Through several, uh, unique circumstances, I found what I was looking for. I found friends. Percy and Jason accepted me. They couldn't understand me, but they reached out and touched me.

"It was like being pulled out of darkness and thrust into the light. It was painful. It hurt my eyes. But I came out better than I was. The light brightened me. It brightened my world. And I- I found the strength to move on. My friends gave me that. The least I can do is return the favour."

Maria looked into his eyes and saw a light there. A light that shone no matter how dark everything around it was. And his irises lit up the darkness like the Northern Lights.

She pursed her lips and a small tear fell from her eye.

"Nico…"

* * *

><p>He looked down at them with scorn. His scarlet red eyes flared and he upturned the left side of his mouth. Spread out at his feet were the defeated bodies of thirty Hunters. He had slaughtered them all here in this nearly empty parking lot.<p>

The only one left standing was a thin girl dressed in punk rock clothes and with medium-length black hair with blue streaks at the front. She gritted her teeth, steadying herself on her bow.

The man sighed. "Is that it? Is this really all that the great Hunters of Artemis have to offer?"

"Sh- shut up. It's not over yet."

"No. No it's not, is it? Surely, Thalia, the powerful daughter of Zeus should give me more of a challenge. I've heard stories about you. Something about the oldest of the most powerful generation of demigods or some crap. Well, I suppose that's just what they are: stories."

"I said shut up!"

Thalia charged forward, firing off an arrow as she went. The man sidestepped just in time and drew his sword. He dodged another arrow and raised his sword for a strike.

Swinging hard, he cleaved through the air in a horizontal arc, aimed straight for the Hunter's head. Thalia slid down on her knees, limboing beneath the blade and slashing at his leg with a knife.

The man cried out as he felt a burning sensation on his calf. He roared and unleashed a torrent of fire from his sword. Thalia rolled behind a car and fired an arrow beneath the chassis.

He jumped over it but was caught in her trap. Thalia flipped onto the roof of the car and shot seven arrows in rapid succession. The man blocked some of them but the rest pierced his body.

Yelling with anger and pain, he blasted flames at the car, blowing it up. Thalia leaped high in the air, overtop the man. Then she fired down at his exposed head. He rolled the side and avoided the attack.

Gripping her bow in her left hand, Thalia ran along the side, grabbing med items and extra arrows from the fallen Hunters. The man focused his red eyes on her and nodded with approval.

"Not bad, demigod. I'm impressed. But now I'm going to end this."

Thalia smirked. "Ditto."

He yelled and charged at great speed, swinging his sword. A great arc of fire came from the swing and careened towards Thalia. She leaped back and fired one last arrow into the air.

"Artemis, I summon thee!"

Instantly, a sonic boom erupted throughout the parking lot. Both Thalia and the man covered their eyes as a bright light emerged from the smoke. Out stepped a petite little girl of about 12 years of age.

The man swallowed deeply. "Well this changes things."

The girl assessed the situation and turned to Thalia.

"Thalia, even though I gave you that emergency arrow for situations such as this, I don't believe my presence here is necessary. Surely you could defeat this monster yourself."

Thalia bowed. "Forgive me, my lady."

Artemis waved her off. "Oh, it's fine." Then she turned to the man. "Now then, Nicolai, isn't it? Long time no see."

"Indeed, Moon Goddess. It has been a long time. And as much as I'd love to fight you, I'm afraid I have more pressing matters to attend to. Your Hunter, Thalia Grace, fought well. I look forward to our next battle. Until we meet again. Farewell."

His form began to shimmer.

"Wait!" Thalia cried.

He disappeared.

Thalia cursed and strapped her bow back to her back. Artemis moved among her fallen soldiers, blessing their souls and sending them on a peaceful route to the Underworld.

"Why didn't you stop him?" Thalia demanded.

"Why? Because I didn't have to. Nicolai is a powerful warrior, most certainly. But I believe he had almost met his match in you. He will be defeated in due time."

"Do you know where he's headed?"

"Gotham City."

"I'm going after him. With your permission, of course."

Artemis nodded. "Very well. Go, my child. And don't worry. There are friends waiting for you in Gotham."

"Who?"

"You'll see soon enough. Now go. Or you won't make it before sunset."

Thalia bowed. "Thank you, my lady." Then she mounted her horse and rode off towards the city.

* * *

><p>Dick sighed as he stood in front of Percy's room. It was midnight and he had finally come to a decision. <em>I'll ask him about my pen. Then I'll slowly steer the conversation to where they were. And I'll uncover the truth. <em>

He knocked on the door and waited. No one answered. Frowning, he knocked again. Same thing happened. Dick reached out and took the door handle. It was unlocked.

The door opened and he stepped inside. No one was there. He cursed and ran down to the Batcave. Quickly dressing in his Robin suit, he jumped into the Batmobile and sped towards the city.

* * *

><p>Percy and Nico walked down the street. They both felt it. A powerful presence was stalking them.<p>

"How close is it?" Percy asked.

"Real close. I estimate like 500 meters at the most."

"500 meters? Crap. We gotta get to an unpopulated area."

"Where, though?"

"Uh… the park?"

"No."

"Park it is."

Percy started running down the sidewalk. Nico sighed and followed him. While jogging, they could feel the presence steadily getting closer. They turned a corner and went through the gate leading to the park.

Suddenly, Percy ran full tilt into a horse. He was knocked back onto the ground.

"Ow! What is with me and running into things today?"

He looked up and his eyes widened. "Thalia? What the heck are you doing here?"

The Hunter crossed her arms.

"Good to see you too, little cousin."

"You know, my physical age has exceeded yours so technically I'm the older-"

"Dream about it, Percy."

He smiled and chuckled slightly. "It's good to see you, Thalia."

She dismounted and hugged him. Then she turned to Nico.

"Hey, kid."

"Don't call me kid!"

Thalia laughed. "So what are you guys up to?"

"Can't you sense it?" Nico questioned. "There's a powerful monster tracking us. He'll be here any second."

Thalia sniffed the air and narrowed her eyes.

"It's Nicolai."

Percy started. "Nicolai? John's brother?"

"Who's John?"

"A monster we fought yesterday."

"Indeed." Said a voice from above. "And you had the good grace to end his life quickly. For that I thank you."

The three demigods looked up to see Nicolai striding down a tree branch as it slowly bent under his weight and lowered him to the ground. He spread his arms in greeting and smiled wide.

"It is an honour to be standing before the three oldest living children of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. Truly, an honour. Thalia Grace, hopefully you will be able to entertain me again. Nico Di Angelo and Perseus Jackson, I look forward to our battle. Now then, shall we begin?"

Percy uncapped his pen and Riptide appeared in his hand. Nico unsheathed his Stygian Iron blade and Thalia drew out her bow. Nicolai smiled as he slowly pulled out his sword.

It was red with a black outlining. The crossguard was like that of a rapier, protecting the hand that held the hilt. He swung it around a few times, experimentally.

Then he charged forward at great speed. He headed straight for Percy and swung. Percy parried the first attack and dodged the next. Then Thalia fired two arrows at him.

Nicolai blocked both of them at speed and spun to face an attacking Nico. They exchanged hard blows, Nicolai grinning and Nico scowling. Strike, parry, strike, parry, it seemed to go on forever.

Then Nicolai twisted his blade and knocked Nico's sword from his hand. The son of Hades gasped and jumped back.

Percy came forward and slashed down. Nicolai sidestepped and countered. Percy grunted as Nicolai's sword sliced his arm. He stumbled back as Thalia ran to back him up.

Out of nowhere, she pulled out her spear and giant shield. The horrific face of Medusa gleamed as if freshly shined. Even Nicolai looked a little paler as he saw it.

Thalia thrust forward with the added reach due to her spear. Nicolai barely parried it. Then she smashed forward with the shield, connecting with his face. He grunted and slid back.

But Thalia wouldn't stop. She pressed on and slashed at his face, cutting slightly through his cheek, drawing blood.

Nicolai's eyes flared and he roared, unleashed a wave of fire that shot towards her. Thalia flipped back and Percy tackled her out of the way. The flames set fire to the park and the sky was lit up.

* * *

><p>Robin was driving slowly along, humming a Danny Elfman song when he glimpsed the fire.<p>

_What the heck? It's in the same park as before!_

He fired the engines and sped towards the park.

_I'll catch you this time! _

* * *

><p>Nico shielded his eyes from the flames and coughed several times. He looked around for his friends but couldn't see them. Walking a few paces, he winced as his hand touched fire.<p>

He jerked back in pain and started as he heard someone laugh.

"Oh my, Nico, it looks like you're trapped. Just you and me."

Nico flipped around and saw Nicolai standing several paces away from him. He snarled and charged forward.

Their swords clashed and they struggled against each other. Nicolai smirked.

"As expected of you, Nico Di Angelo. But I must say, you disappoint me."

"Like I give a crap."

"Oh, that was mean."

Nico kicked him away from him and attacked once again. They battled ferociously but Nicolai was slowly taking control. He forced Nico up to the flaming walls surrounding them and had already landed several cuts.

The battle finally reached its climax when Nicolai slashed open Nico's right arm, rendering it useless. The son of Hades quickly switched to his left but even he knew that it was over.

Nico kicked aside his sword and stabbed Nico through the shoulder. Then he cut a long gash into Nico's chest. He cried out in pain and slumped to his knees. Nicolai looked sternly down at him.

"You put up a good fight. It's been fun. I'll leave you here. I have to finish off your friends. But don't go anywhere. I'm not done with you yet."

Thalia stood waiting. She had already discovered that she was surrounded by walls of fire. It seemed that Nicolai intended to pick them off one by one. But if she could beat him here, then it'd be over and hopefully her friends wouldn't be hurt.

Near the edge of the area, the air shimmered and Nicolai materialized. He looked a little winded but unharmed. Striding towards her, he smiled.

"It's good of you to wait so patiently. I apologize for taking so much time."

He hefted his sword and Thalia glimpsed blood on the blade. Her eyes widened.

"Who- who's blood is that?" She demanded.

"Oh, this? This is blood from the son of Hades. Strange boy. I don't think he likes me very much. But it turned out all right. He's probably bleeding to death as we speak. Pity. I wanted to have more fun with him."

"You monster!" Thalia yelled.

She gripped her bow and fired several arrows at him. Nicolai calmly cut through them and sighed.

"Really, if all you're doing is using those same attacks over and over then there's really no point to this battle."

Thalia gritted her teeth as perspiration dotted her brow. She fired off two shots and charged him, spear and shield in hand. Nicolai once again deflected the arrows and swung down to meet Thalia.

She blocked the attack with her shield and thrust forward with the spear. It nicked his leg and he kicked her aside in frustration. The daughter of Zeus rolled back to her feet just in time to block a strike.

Nicolai gripped his sword with both hands as he hammered blow after blow into her shield. Thalia steeled herself as his attacks rained down on her. It seemed that with each swing, his strikes became stronger.

He stabbed her wrist and she dropped Aegis. Then he came forward and she barely parried with her spear blade. Thalia quickly flipped back and drew her bow. But she was unprepared for his speed.

Nicolai shot forward and sliced through the bow, cutting slightly into her skin as he did so. Thalia rolled away and flung several knives at him. Batting them away, he relentlessly pursued her.

Thalia could feel her strength waning as she did her best to stay out of his reach. After one jump, she landed awkwardly on one foot and stumbled.

"You're mine!" He yelled.

Suddenly a wave of water came crashing through the flaming wall. Percy rode atop of it, sword drawn. He let loose a battle cry and came down with a crushing overhead strike that drove Nicolai to his knees.

The monster shoved him away but was hit with a wave that knocked him off his feet. He growled and unleashed a blast of fire. Percy met it with a wave of water.

As the elements struggled against each other, headlights beamed in on the battle scene. Percy cursed.

"Well, looks like we've been caught."

* * *

><p>Robin spun the wheel as he entered the park. Bursting through a wall of flames, the Batmobile rumbled like a colossal tank. He broke through several more walls and then hit a small jump.<p>

The car flew into the air. In front of him he glimpsed three figures and a fourth lying about thirty meters away behind another wall. The Batmobile crashed to the ground and slid to a stop.

Robin sighed as he recognized Percy as one of the three. The door popped open and he flipped out of it. He didn't recognize the other two.

One of them was a tall man with medium length brown hair and scarlet red eyes. The other was a teenage girl with strange punk rock clothes and black hair with blue streaks.

He studied them briefly and turned to Percy.

"Mind telling me what's going on here?"

Percy grinned sheepishly. "You're a lot younger than I thought you'd be, Batman."

"I'm not Batman. My name is Robin, Batman's apprentice."

"Oh. That explains a lot."

Robin strode forward, eyeing the weapons in their hands.

"Why do you all have weapons?"

Percy hid his sword behind his back. "You- you can see them?"

Robin nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes, I can. And I'd like you to put them down."

The tall man spoke up. "Look, kid, I don't know how you're seeing through the Mist, but if you want to live, you'd better leave."

Robin smirked. "Oh, really? Well, can't be helped. You're a danger to others. And I'm afraid I'll have to take you in."

"Hang on!" The girl said, "That guy's the threat, not us. We're fighting him to stop him from killing us."

Robin nodded passively. "Yeah, that's usually the reason people fight each other. But you won't be explaining your way out of this one. I don't know about you, but from my point of view, this all looks very weird. Two teenagers, holding bronze weapons, fighting this guy, who's holding a red sword.

"There are walls made of fire surrounding the area, and a giant puddle over there. Then there's another teenager who looks dead, lying somewhere over there. And you all wonder why I can see you?"

Percy shrugged. "He's got a point."

"Furthermore," Robin continued, "this is a very whelmingly easy decision for me to make. You're all under arrest."

Percy narrowed his eyes. _Whelmingly. Where have I heard that before?_

* * *

><p>Thalia could see that Robin wasn't going to let up. She shifted and like a hawk, his eyes zeroed in on her movements. <em>No wonder he's called Robin. He's got eyes like a bird's. <em>

Suddenly, Nicolai yelled and swung at Robin's head. The young superhero ducked and swept his legs out from under him. Then he flipped back and threw two oddly shaped spinning knives at him.

Nicolai hit them aside and rushed forward. Percy ran in and got in his way. They clashed and Nicolai pushed him back. Then Thalia attacked from behind. He sensed her and tried to dodge but she still pierced his left arm.

Robin dashed in and roundhouse him in the face. Then he shoulder flipped Percy onto his back.

"Hey! We're on the same side!"

"Since when?"

"Since he freaking attacked you!"

Thalia shoved them apart. "Guys, shut up and fight!"

Nicolai swung down with his sword and sent an arc of fire headed towards them. Robin and Thalia rolled aside but Percy summoned another wave to meet it. Except this time, there was no contest.

The flames cleaved through the water and Percy barely dodged. Robin grimaced and flung several of his spinning knives at Nicolai. Just before touching him, they exploded and threw him back into a tree.

Percy ran over to them.

"Guys, I've got a plan. There's a pile of water beneath that tree over there. Robin, if you could throw more exploding things and they forced him into the puddle, Thalia can throw her spear and pin him to the tree.

"Then Thalia, bring lightning down on him. He'll be fried."

Robin smiled as he understood. "And then with the tree, the water and the spear all touching him, he'll be even more fried than a normal lightning strike. And since when can you shoot lightning?!"

Thalia smirked. "Tell ya later. This'd better work, Percy, or I'll beat the snot out of you."

Percy chuckled. "If it doesn't work, you won't need to, we'll probably be dead soon anyway."

"Let's do it!" Robin said.

The three teens readied themselves and Nicolai charged again. Robin threw at least five exploding things and ran after them. The explosions once more threw Nicolai back.

Robin leaped high in the air and landed a devastating two-footed kick to Nicolai's face. He was sent tumbling into the large puddle beneath the tree. He grunted and stood up.

Then Thalia hurled her spear at his chest and it went straight through, pining him to the tree. Robin flipped back to get out of the way as the sky turned dark.

Thalia raised her fist into the air and yelled furiously as she brought it down. At the same time, a giant bolt of lightning streaked down from the sky.

Nicolai looked up with terrified eyes.

"Oh, sh-"

The lightning blasted into him and his screams echoed through the park. All three teens shielded their eyes until the electricity receded. When they looked, all they could see was an unrecognizable corpse that slowly began dissolving into golden dust.

Robin gasped and ran to it, picking some up and into a small canister on his belt. Thalia nudged Percy.

"What's with him?"

He shrugged. "Beats me."

Robin stood and faced them. "Now, to deal with you two. Before I arrest you, I'd like to know who you are and what you are."

Percy looked at Thalia. "Should we tell him?"

"Of course not. He's a mortal."

"But he can see us!"

She grabbed his shirt. "It doesn't matter, Percy. You are not gonna make another Rachel of this kid! That's final!"

Percy took her wrist. "Thalia, this is the first time I've ever beaten a monster with a mortal's help. This is special. And he needs to know."

Thalia sighed. "Fine. Do what you want. But don't blame me if things get ugly from here on out."

Percy nodded. "I won't. Thanks, Thalia."

She turned away. "I'll go check on Nico." She ran off and Percy turned to Robin.

"Robin, how much do you know about the Greeks and Roman gods of Olympus?"

"Only what I learned in school, I guess."

"Okay. That's fair. Listen, the gods are real. And they still exist. They've been travelling throughout history, settling wherever Western Civilization is strongest. Right now, they're here in the United States."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "All right. Go on."

"Throughout Greek and Roman Mythology, the gods mingled with mortals and had children with them. These children were called demigods. People like Hercules, Achilles and Perseus were all demigods. And they all existed."

Robin began to understand. "So you, Nico and Thalia are all modern demigods?"

Percy nodded affirmatively. "Yeah."

"So who was that guy we fought? Another demigod?"

"No. That was a monster. I won't go into all the details but they come from the Underworld and it's our task to kill them and survive."

Robin accessed the Golden Dust file. "And what about this golden dust? What is it?"

"Oh, that? That's just what happens whenever you kill a monster. They dissolve into that stuff."

Robin smirked. "Heh. And I thought that the Golden Dust connected all the dots when in fact it was you. I think I understand. I had already heard about the Greek gods from Wonder Woman. But I never heard that they were so intimate with humans."

"Wait. You mean _the_ Wonder Woman? The Amazon Princess blessed by all the gods? You know her?"

"Yep, I know her."

Percy's eyes widened considerably. "Wow. You know one of the ancient Amazons. I've only met the modern ones. But an ancient…"

Thalia came back, pretty much carrying Nico on her back. She set him down and Percy ran to his side.

"Nico, man, you all right?"

"He's unconscious." Thalia said. "I already gave him some ambrosia so he should be fine in a day or so. He really took a beating."

Percy looked down with remorse. "I should've been with him."

Thalia put her hand on his shoulder. "He'll be fine, Percy."

Robin coughed and they looked over at him.

"Are you still gonna arrest us?" Percy asked.

Robin hesitated then shook his head.

"No. For some reason, I find myself… trusting you. I feel like I know you. And I know that you don't pose much of a threat to the citizens of Gotham City. So I'll let you off for tonight. But when I see you tomorrow, I'm bringing you in for further questioning. There are still some things I want answered." He turned away. "The fight was fun. We should do it again some time. Well, I'll see you around."

He stepped into the Batmobile and then stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot." He pulled something out from his belt. "I found this here last night. You might want to return it."

He chucked the object at them and drove off. Percy picked up the item and saw that it was a pen. It had a small name label near the end. He read the name.

_Dick Grayson_

* * *

><p>And that's the end of part 2. What'd you think? Did you enjoy the fight? Which part of The Investigation did you like better, Part 1 or Part 2? Once again, thanks for reading and I'll see you next time.<p> 


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